What is meditation?
Updated: Jul 17
Are you interested in learning more about meditation? If so, you're in the perfect spot!
What is Meditation and How Can It Benefit You?
Meditation is a centuries-old practice that has been used for both spiritual and physical healing. In recent years, it has become increasingly popular as people have sought out mental clarity, stress relief, and improved physical health. Whether you're new to meditation or simply curious about the practice, here's what you need to know.
The Breakdown:
The definition of meditation varies from person to person, but generally speaking, it is an activity of focusing attention on a single thought or object while simultaneously emptying your mind of all other thoughts. The goal is to reach a state of mindfulness in which your body is relaxed and your thoughts are stilled. This can be done through guided meditations (where someone else leads you through a series of steps) or silent meditations (where you focus on your own).
The Goods:
Meditation has numerous benefits for both the body and mind.
Physically, it can reduce muscle tension and headaches, improve sleep quality and digestion, boost immunity, reduce blood pressure levels, improve heart rate variability (HRV), and help with overall relaxation.
Mentally, meditation can help us gain emotional balance by reducing feelings of anxiety and depression; increase resilience; enhance focus; sharpen memory; increase self-awareness; foster creativity; promote positive thinking patterns; develop problem-solving skills; cultivate self-compassion; increase empathy towards others; promote gratitude; and even deepen our spiritual connection with ourselves or the divine.
Finally, research suggests that regular meditators may even experience increased grey matter in certain areas associated with memory processing and emotional regulation!
How to Get Started With Meditation
If you're ready to give meditation a try for yourself, there are countless resources available online to get started. Many apps offer free guided meditations for beginners that walk you through the basics step by step. There are also plenty of video tutorials available if you'd prefer visual instruction over audio guidance. If possible, it's also beneficial to work with an experienced instructor who can provide personalized advice tailored specifically to your needs.
Here at BrittanyAntoniaYoga we offer 1:1 private meditation sessions where you can have your own personalized meditative session to really dive a bit deeper into what you need in the moment.
Reap the Rewards
No matter what method you choose—guided or silent—meditation should be approached as an exploration rather than an expectation that something specific will occur every time you sit down to practice. While some days your mind may be filled with too many thoughts to be able to focus on one thing at a time easily, other days may feel like blissful moments of peaceful stillness where everything seems effortless. As long as you view each session as an experiment without any expectations attached, soon enough you’ll find yourself reaping the many rewards that come from regular meditation practice!